Key-holder for locks.



E. A; BENJAMIN. KEY HOLDER FOR LOCKS. APPLICATION FILED JAN- 2. 190B.-

Patnted Feb. 2, 1909.

QN N w anon Wot wasumurqq, a. c.

EDWIN A. BENJAMIN, OF SAN DIEGO, GALIFOBNIA.

KEY-HOLDER FOR LOCKS.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented. Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed January 2, 1908. Serial No. 409,002.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a new and use ful Key-Holder for Locks, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in locks, and is designed moreparticularly to provide means whereby an inserted key is held against accidental or malicious removal from the look while at the same time the normal operation of the key in the lock is not interfered with.

The invention comprises essentially an elastic 0r yielding member with which the key engages when moved in a direction to operate the latch-bolt and by which the key is held from return tocoincidence with the key slot against the effect of any shocks or jars to which it might be subjected'whenin the lock. At the same time the holding devices for the key will yield to asuperior though slight force applied to the finger hold of the key and the key may then be turned into coinclidence with the slot and removed from the In one form of theinvention there is provided a plate housed in the lock casin within the path of thekey as it is inserted into the lock, and this late is movable to one side or the other of t e lock casing so as to not interfere with the key bit when the key is turned on its longitudinal aXis to throw the latch-bolt. This plate is provided with piroj ecting portions so locateo as to hold the ey out of coincidence with the key slot when the key has been turned a certain predetermined distance on its longitudinal axis, but because of the elastic nature of the'plate the key bit is easily made to pass by these projecting portions by forcing the same out of its path, and then the key may readily be brought into coincidence with the key slot and removed from the look when desired. Thus shocks or jars as the key may be subjected to under ordinary conditions of use will be insufficient to cause the key to pass bythe restraining means and thus it cannot by any possibility esca e from the lock and so be lost.

Tlife invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings,

Figure '1 is a face view of the lock-bolt end of the lock casing with the invention applied thereto, the corresponding face plate being removed. Fig. 2 1s a similar view showing the relation of the key to key-restraining means after the lock-bolt has been thrown. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line ma; of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of a modified form of the key centering means. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the structures shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of another modified form of a portion of the key centering means.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a lock casing 1 which may be taken as indicative of any type of lock having a key-operated bolt. There is also shown a lock-bolt 2 of ordinaryconstruction which may be taken as indicative of any type of lock-bolt of a lock to which the invention is applicable. There is also shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a tumbler 8 which may be indicative of any type of tumbler operating in conjunction with lock-bolt. In addition to the parts the scribed, there is also shown a key slot 4 in each side of the casing, as is usual.

The parts thus far described are such as may be found in any ordinary type of lock, and it is to such type of lock that the invention forming the subject-matter of this application is particularly adapted.

Cast on one side or face p ate 5 of the lock are a number of lugs 6 extending across the body of the look into close relation to the other face plate 7, and adjacent to the lugs 6 on the face plate are short lugs or bosses 8, and on the face plate 7 close to the lugs 6 are short bosses 9. The lugs 6 are spaced apart, as indicated in Fig. 1, and one of them may act as a su port for the locking bolt 2. The key hole a so has an annular boss 9.

Fitting within the lock between the lockbolt 2 and the bottom of the casing is a substantially rectangular plate 10 having notches 11 formed to receive the lugs 6, which lugs serve to uide this plate, and the plate is capable of eing moved across the interior of the lock casing upon the lugs 6 as guides until brought into contact with the short bosses 8 or 9. The plate 10 may be made of thin sheet metal and is provided with a perforation 12 coincident with that portion of the key slot 4 in which the pintle of the key fits. It is of course apparent that instead of providing the perforation, such as 12, the metal of the plate may be upset at this point to form a socket 12 for the reception of the end of the key as shown in Fig. 4 or may be upset to form a boss 12 which will fit into a key made with an end recess, as shown in Fig. 7.

Radiating from the perforation 12 are ridges 13 and 14 formed in the plate 10, and these ridges may be made by sim 1y embossing the plate in any manner \i hatever and are shown in the drawing as of progressively graded depth from near the hole 12 outwardly.

Now, let it be assumed that tne plate 10 isin placein the lock and is there held by thelugs 6. Suppose, further a key is inserted in the 100K in the usual manner and meets the plate, then the plate is forced to the other side of the lock casing by the key until stop .ed by the bosses 8 or 9, as the case may be. Now, letit be assumed that the lock-bolt is inthe position shown in Fig. 1 and that the key after having been inserted until the key bit is entirely within the casing and the key is turned upon its longitudinal axis in a direction to throw the lock-bolt to the locked position. As it is being turned thekey bit will engage the embossed ridge 14 and its further rogress is resisted thereby, but since the p ate 10 is held only near its edges and at a considerable distance from the point of en agement of the key bit with the ridge 14, the plate 10, which may be made of thin resilient metal, will yield and the key will pass by the ridge, after which the plate will spring back to its normal position. Now the key, may be left in this position if itbe desired not to lock the door but simply allow the key to remain in the lock casing, or the keyv may be turned further to throw the lock-bolt and the turning of the key may be continued until finally it is arrested by the embossed ridge 13. If it be desired ultimately to remove the key from the lock casing a little extra force applied to turn the key after it has been arrested by the ridge 13 will again cause the plate to spring away from the bit of the key and thus permit the keyto be turned until coincident with the keyhole, after which it may be withdrawn. However, so long as the key is separated from the.key-hole by one of the ridges 1.3 or 14, it is securely held against movement into coincidence with the key-hole with these ridges, except by a turning force sufficient to causethe plate to spring out of the path of the key bit. Such a contingency is not liable to occur from any accidental cause suchasthe slamming of the door or by reason of shocks or jars imparted to the door or key since it is only by a turning movement of the key under a greater force than would be imparted to it by such shocks or jars that the ridges 13 and 14 are forced out of the path of the key and the latter permitted to finally come into coincidence with the key slot.

There are like ridges 13 and 1-1- on each side of the plate when the plate is used in conjunction with a lock having key slots in both face plates, but when the type of lock having a key slot in one face plate only is used. then it is unnecessary to have the ridges 13 and 14 on both sides of the plate 10. Now, let it be supposed that the lock is accessible with a key from either side of the door. lhen the key may be inserted into the lock casing through the slot on the other side and the )late 10 will be pushed into engagement wit 1 the lugs 9 on the further face plate and the embossed ridges 13 and 14 on the corresponding side of the spring plate 10 will serve to hold the key from being brought accidentally, into coincidence with the key slot after having once passed the ridges in a direction to engage the lock bolt.

The exterior limit of the path of the bit of the key is indicated by the dotted circular line 18.

It is common. in locks of the character to which this invention relates to have the words formed on the face plates to prevent the use of keys, except those wherein the bits have slots or recesses corresponding in position to such wards, and when such devices for preventing the use of any but certain keys in the locks are employed then the plate 10 is provided with corresponding passages 19, so that the keys may still he used as before since the wards will extend through the openings 19. in the plate 10.

It is to be observed that when the plate 10 is in place with the key inserted, and the key is in a position where it cannot come into coincidence with the key slot except by design, then the opposite key slot is closed by the plate against the insertion of tools or implements for the purpose of operating the lock surreptitiously or the malicious removal of the key, as is possible with ordinary locks.

When the solid plate with the boss or indentation is used in place of the perforation 12, then by no possibility can the key be turned from the opposite side of the lock from thatthrough which the key is inserted. Furthermore, with the solid plate and with the plate as shown, when the key is inserted the key hole cannot be seen through.

Of course, it is evident that the bosses S and 9 and 9 may be formed on the plate 10 instead of on the casing, and in Fig. 5 two such bosses are indicated at 20 and 21. if the plate 10 be made of cast metal then it may be made with a boss or countersink, as the case may be, for the barrel of the key instead of being upset, as would be the case were the plate made of sheet metal.

The plate 10 is adapted to a lock withkey 7 holes through both sides, but this does not preclude the use of the plate in look structures where the key hole is provided in one side only.

What is claimed is;

1. In a look, a holder for keys omprising an elastic plate supported at-its ends within the casing and movable across the same in either direction by inserting the key in the look from opposite sides, said plate having means for centering the key and perforations for the passage of wards formed on the lock casing, and provided on each face with ribs or projections lying in the path of the bit of an inserted key and capable of being temporarily forced out of said path through the elasticity of said plate when the key is,

turned.

2. Alock provided with guide lugs extending laterally across the interior of the casing between its sides, and having a stop at each end of said lugs, an elastic plate movable along said guide lugs between said stops and provided on each side with a centering means for the pin of the key in line with the eyes of the key holes in the lock,

and perforations for the passage of wards formed on the lock casing, said plate having portions on each face projecting into the path of the bit of an inserted key which portions will be forced out of the path of the bit of thekey when the key is turned and spring back after the bit has assed.

3. In a look, a key older composed of an elastic plate located within the lock casing and having yielding radial ribs on each side for preventing the key, after being turned, from moving into alinement with the keyhole, said plate having perforations for the passage of wards formed on the lock casing.

4. In a look, a key holder composed of an elastic plate within the lock and slidable crosswise thereof, said plate having radial ribs on each side projecting from the centering point of the key said ribs preventing the key after being turned, from moving into alinement with the key-hole said plate being provided with perforations for the passage of Wards formed on the lock casing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

l EDWIN A. BENJAMIN.

Witnesses:

MARTHA A. BENJAMIN,

THOMAS OHALLARAN. H 

